This invention is directed to absorbent pant garments having fastening components on side panels in an orientation that minimizes the likelihood of fastener pop-opens.
Disposable absorbent pant garments, such as training pants, often include a pair of side panels with fastening systems that extend from a waist opening to a leg opening. The pant garments may be sold in a pre-fastened state such that the wearer can easily slip the pant on just as they would with regular underwear. The fastening system allows the wearer or a caregiver to remove and replace the pant without the need to remove outer pant garments or footwear.
While the fastening systems of disposable absorbent pant garments are beneficial in many respects, the nuisance of fastener “pop-opens” may result in less effective absorbent garments by allowing bodily wastes to spill out of a popped open side of the garment. Fastening systems on diapers typically feature ears that attach to a landing zone on the tummy when applied to the wearer. Thus in diapers, leg stresses are spread over a larger portion of the garment compared to more pant-like garments, such as training pants. Since the stresses are more spread out, the stresses are less likely to concentrate at specific points. Furthermore, conventional diaper designs fit differently around the leg compared to conventional training pants. For example, diaper garments feature minimal coverage in the hip/leg area and are not as pant-like as conventional training pants. The absence of fasteners and stretchable materials in the upper leg area translates into leg bending stresses being much less of a concern for diapers than for training pants.
Training pants that feature stretchy sides that cover the entire hip and upper leg area of a wearer are under more point stress and tension than conventional diapers. In such training pants, stresses occur when the wearer bends his or her legs. Because the leg opening shape and fastener location can greatly impact the fastener security, or likelihood of pop-opens, the fasteners should be located on the garment in a location away from concentrated stress points.
There is a need or desire for absorbent pant garments having refastenable side seams with the fastening components located away from concentrated stress points in order to reduce the likelihood of fastener pop-opens.